Stem remover for tobacco leaves



June 3, 1952 H. LEWlN 2,599,267

STEM REMOVER FOR TOBACCO LEAVES Filed Nov. 14, 1950 2 SHEETS-SI-IEET 1 Fig./

Inventor Henry Lew/n N I I B1 WW June 3, 1952 H. LEWIN STEM REMLOVER FOR TOBACCO LEAVES 2 Sl-lEETS-SI-IEET 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1950 Inventor Henry Levin 405'. WWW 3M Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED iS ES PATENT OFF PC-E FOR TIB A QCO DEAWES Henry Lewin, Clarksvil'le, Tenn.

Application November 14, 1950, Serial no. 1955653 (01. lei-131) A -Olaims. 1

This invention relates to the tie-stemming of plantleaves and more particularly to :-'a machine for removing the stem from tobacco leaves, and especially'thatiknown 'as"-da1fl fir ed tobacco leaf which has been :diflicult .to tie-stem heretofore without injuring the leaves and producing much leaf waste. 7

The :leaves of dark fired tobacco contain largeiheawystems having athicknessup to onehalf rofian 'inchaor larger and the leaf is very-gum- Because of the variations in the thick-- ness of the stem and 'gummines's, the removal of the stem "by conventional type-de-s'temming machines has not been accomplished successfully. Thus the removal of the stems in this kind f tobacco leaf has been effected-principally by hand labor. rSuch hand stemming methods are not only costly but result in a greattd'eal of waste. .ItllS accordingly, :a principal object of the present invention to provide a machine 101' perform- ?inglthi's stemming operation on dark fired to ;bacco leaf which is efiicient inoperation and produces :a minimum of waste material.

A iurther :object of this invention envisions the provision of a machine for de-stemming gummy leaves of this characterwhihefficacious- 1y removes "the stems without .in'jur-ing the leaf, and suchas commonly results by hand stemming methods.

Still another object is the provision of a machine having rotating cutting blades and-=associate'd rolleri mechanism which is operable to -per form the de-s'temniing operation without gum- =ming up orotherwise interferingwith the ease of operating the machine.

These and other objects and advantages will iloec'ome -apparent as thedescription proceeds. Although thenovel features which are believed '-''to be characteristic of this invention will be more aparticularlypointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its -other objects and advantages and. manner of operation may :be better understood by referring to the following description taken in :conne'ction with the accompanying drawingsformin'g apart thereof, i'n which: Figure 1 is an elevational view of one form of machine for practicing the invention and wherein [the outer ends of the machine is "shown broken away to indicate the use of .multiple machines of similar construction interconnected and operated for file-stemming tobacco leaves;

Figure 2 is a plan view the machine mustrated in' Figure l and takensubstantia'lly on the line 2-2 of said figure;

Figure 3 is -a detail view illustrating the gear train arrangement for operating the circular'cutting knives and*associated rollermechanism;

Figure 4 is a fragmentarysectional detail view taken substantially on the plane indicated by-ithe "lines 4-4 o'f'Fi'gurel andlooking in the direction of the arrows;

'il ig'ui e f5 Sis a fragmentary detail "view :illustraiting (a tobacco leaf in position between the knives ffo'r performing the d'e-st'emming operation; and

Figure Q62i's .a fragmentary 'detail'ta'kenzon the line 6-4; o'fl Figun'e 1 and looking initheidirection of the arrows.

Referring :to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference :eharacters indicate similar parts throughout the' sevei al'views, and particularly Figures 1 and 2, the numera'l cl 0 indicates .a TEC- tangular frame compr'isinga base portion :l22 having side "walls- I 4 and I'B and :a' connecting top name-member 1'8. lSuitabl-y mounted on :the ctront o'f the upstandingsframe members it time. .156 is -'a roller shaft jl 8' up'on which :is "fixed irolls 20 and 22, the rolls be'ing spaced 1011 the :shatt t8 to provide a central opening Z4. iilhe sha'it ztsicarrying the rollers 21] and 22 is jounnaled :in :the brackets 28 and "28 -attached at the iront of the frame meiribers M and 115 and adjacent the enter ends of the rolls.

Mountedon the rear side-0T the upstanding frame "members *M and lfi' and l'aterally spaced from theroll'ershatt =I 8 is a-se'oond roller shaft 30 "similarly journaled in braekets, not show-'11, att-aohedto the members -l d and it, upon wliichiis fixedly mounted rolls Sand 34, the rolls :being spaced on the shaft to provide a central opening 36 which corresponds to the spacing of rolls 2!! and 2 2 on shatt =18. The rolls 32 and 31 are pret- 'ei ably ofsubstantially the same {diameter as the rells fill-and i l but of somewhat less length, as

illus'trated'inFigure z.

hrrangedcentrally and-extending parallel with said-rolls is a pair-of opposed -.0-shapedcarriages generally designated '48 and 4 2. The marriages comprise jlaterally ex te'nding base members 4'4 =an'd46 with end walls 48=and 5U,-and 1a terally extending 'top members 52 5 3. Integral de- =pendirig arms 56 and 53 are providedon the in- 'ner ends of the top members '52 and .54 respecriver-y. "Diametricallvopposed to the depending arms EG-and 53 are upstanding end sections 611 and 6'2 which are io'rm'edrm the :loase members "4'4-and 4t respectively.

Each of the C-shaped carriages l0 and are mounted for lateral "movement within the reetangular frame l llby means of the multiple sets-of rdllers generally indicated' ait E4 and Esuiit- "ably retained in the roller :gui'de raceways arranged above aind beneath the carriage frames, 'as illustrated 'in Figure 1. A pair of fco'mpression (springs 10 and 12 is spacedly dis osed between the members 48 and 50 azn'dside'rwalls M zan'ti flit, respectively, to continuously urge the coarri'age's towards .each Q'otherand against the isto'p means 111 and le -positioned =on Tth top and hotitem of the :frame members 11*8 and 11.

arranged :centrally between the opposed icarrages 40:and 42 lis 'a small roll which is preferably of the same diameter as rolls 20 and 22 and of a length approximating the size of the opening between the rolls as at 24. The roll 88 is fixed on shaft 82 which extends through and forms a lower guide for the carriages 48 and 42, the shaft passing through suitable apertures in the carriage end wall member 48, B8, 62 and 58, and being journaled in the frame members I4 and I8, similarly as roller shafts I9 and 30.

The cutting part of the machine consists of two circular knives 84 and 86 which are supported and driven as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The circular knive or cutting discs preferably comprise beveled or sharpened edge surfaces 81, but if desired may comprise thin saw-toothed surfaces, or the like. The circular knife 84 is fixed on the end of the shaft 88 which is suitably journaled as at 90 which, in turn, is pivotally supported near the lower end of the depending arm 56 by the pin 92. Shaft 88 is connected through universal joints 94 to the shaft 96 which is journaled, as at 98 in the side frame member I4. A gear 99 keyed to the shaft 96 is arranged to be driven to operate the cutting knife. Similarly the opposed circular knife 88 is fixed on the shaft I82 which is journaled as at I84 and pivotally attached by means of a pin I85 to the lower end of the arm 58. The shaft I82 is likewise connected through the universal joints I86 to the shaft I88, which is journaled in the. side frame member I6, as at II8. A gear II2 keyed to the shaft I88 is arranged to drive the circular knife 86. By thus mounting the cutting knives and driving themindividually through universal shaft con-- nections which are pivotally supported on the depending arms of the opposed carriages, the knives are permitted to pivot about a vertical plane so as to increase or decrease the space between the opposed knives to accommodate varying widths or sizes of stems. Lateral swinging of the knives about their respective journaled supports is prevented by the transverse pin memhere 92 and I85.

vTo drive the rolls and circular knives individually so as to provide for smooth and efiicient operation of the machine, gear trains are arranged at opposite ends of the frame I8. A driven shaft II4 extends longitudinally of the frame I8 and is suitably journaled in brackets H6 and H8 attached at opposite ends, of the frame I8, on which is keyed the gear I28 and I22. Power is transmitted to the shaft II4 through the gear I24 which is fixed thereon and is driven by a 7 have'been disclosed and are pointed out in the suitable prime mover, not shown, such as a motor.

Gear I28 is in mesh with gear 99 Which drives the shaft 96 and attached circular knife 84. Gear '99 in turn is in mesh with gear I26 which operates knife 84 and at the same rotational speed. Gear I I2, like gear 99 is arranged to drive corresponding gears I32, I34 and I38 on the shafts .82, I8 and 38 respectively.

In operating the machine to remove the stem from a tobacco leaf, a leaf I48, as illustrated in Figure 5 is guided over the rolls 28 and 22 and 88 beneath the circular knives B4 and 88 as shown, the large end of the stem being fed over the rolls and into the cutters. The knives are engaged at opposite sides of the stem, as shown at I42, and the leaf advanced between the knives while the rolls and knives are rotating. The circular cutting blades automatically adjust themselves as the leaf is advanced therebeneath so that the stem is cleanly cut away from the leaf. Movement of the rotating knives laterally while' rotatively supported on their respective carriages is effected in accordance with the variance in the width of the stem. Thus the width of the stem controls the separation distance between the rotating knives.

The circular knives for cutting the leaf free of the stem are preferably made of metal, such as spring steel, being driven at a speed suitable for the particular material being de-stemmed,

and the skill of the operator. The rolls are of the conventional type, and may be made up of laminated or unlaminated layers as desired.

By providing suitably tensioned springs I8 and 72 so as to apply just enough lateral pressure against the opposed flexible mounted circular knives 84 and 86, the cutting members may be made to hug and follow the stem accurately even though its width and discourse along the leaf may vary considerably. Further due to the spacing of the rolls and their driving arrangement with the circular knives, leaves which heretofore have been too gummy to successfully destem by existing stripping machines are efficiently accomplished by the present machine.

While certain novel features of the invention annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in this art Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: p

1. In a tobacco stemming machine, the combination with a pair of circular knives having adjacent cutting edges arranged to receive the stem of a tobacco leaf between them, means comprising a frame, a plurality of roll shafts carried by said frame, rolls on said shafts, means comprising laterally shiftable carriages positioned in said frame, each of said carriages being operatively connected to a knife, and means for operating said knives individually to de-stem said tobacco leaf.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said carriages are mounted on rollers and'yieldably urged towards each other.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said knives are mounted on a shaft having universal joints.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein a gear train is arranged at opposite ends of said frame for driving said shafts.

HENRY LEWIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,224,848 Buchanon May 1, 1917 1,287,906 Deiller Dec. 17, 1918 1,784,404 Dirzuweit Mar. 31, 1931 2,212,520 Givinn et a1 Aug. 27, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS I Number Country Date 522,327 Great Britain June 14, 1940 

